"I've got some little things here that I want to lay by, where nobody won't see 'em, in case I'm catched," returned Bags. "Don't you take no notice of me, Bill, and I'll be off directly." "What have ye got?" asked Bill, whose curiosity was awakened by the proceedings of his friend. "Some little matters that I picked up in the town," returned Bags. "Pity you should be on guard to-day, Bill--there was some pretty pickings. I'll save something for you, Bill," added Bags, in an unaccountable access of generosity. The sentry, however, who was a person in every way worthy of the friendship of Mr Bags, expressed no gratitude for the considerate offer, but began poking at the bundle with his bayonet. "Hands off, Bill," said Bags, "they won't abear touching." "Let's see 'em," said Bill. "Not a bit on it," said Bags; "they ain't aworth looking at." "Suppose I was to call the sergeant of the guard," said Bill. "You wouldn't do such a action?" said Bags, in a tone strongly expressive of disgust at such baseness. "No, no, Bill, you ain't that sort of fellow, _I'm_ sure." "It's my dooty," said the sentry, placing the butt of his musket on the ground, and leaning his elbow on the muzzle. "You see that what you said, Tongs, was very true, about its being hard upon me to be carrying about this here damnable weppin" (slapping the barrel of the musket) "all day for fourpence ha'penny, while you are making your fortin. It is, Tongs, d--d hard." "Never mind; there'll be plenty left to-morrow," said Bags in a consolatory tone. "What shall we say, now, if I lets ye hide it?" said Bill, pointing to the bundle. "Half-shares?" "This ain't like a friend, Bill," returned Tongs, highly disgusted with this ungenerous proposal. "Nobody ever knowed me interfere with a comrade when I was on sentry. How long ago is it since I let ye stay in my box an hour, till ye was sober enough to walk into barracks, when I was sentry at the gate? Why, the whole bundle ain't worth eighteenpence--and I've worked hard for it." "Half-shares?" reiterated Bill, not melted in the least by the memory of ancient benefits. "No, by G--!" said Bags in great wrath. "Serg----," began Bill in an elevated voice, porting his arms at the same time. "Stop!" said Bags; "don't call the sergeant. Half is better nor nothing, if ye're going to behave like that. We'll say half, then." "Ah," said Bill, returning to his former position--"I thought we should agree. And now let's see 'em, Tongs." Muttering still his disapprobation of this unworthy treatment, Bags put his bundle on the stone embrasure of the battery, and began to unfold it. Eighteenpence was certainly a low valuation. Bags appeared to have visited a jeweller's shop. Watches, rings, bracelets, gold chains, and brooches glittered on the dingy surface of the handkerchief. "My eye!" said Bill, unable to repress a low laugh of delight--"why, we'll turn bankers when we've sold 'em. Tongs and Co., eh?" said Bill with considerable humour.